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Small Earth Dams
Small Earth Dams
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Seepage/filter
Some water will seep through the dam, even if it is constructed of good materials, and well-compacted. This seepage reduces the strength of the dam. Nelson recommends the crest width and slopes shown in Figure 2 to provide a stable, 3m-high embankment making extra seepage protection unnecessary. A safer, but technically difficult, solution is to include a rock toe drain (as shown), to collect seepage water. This should extend up to a third of the height of the dam, and a graded sand and gravel filter must be placed between the dam fill material and the drain to prevent fine clay particles being washed out. The filter must be designed according to the particle size of the dam material and the drain, following, for example, recommendations in Schwab et al, p488-490.
Construct during the dry season. Divert the stream; block it with a temporary low dam, or divert it through a culvert (which could become part of the outlet works or spillway later). Strip topsoil because it contains organic matter (such as roots) which prevents proper compaction and may provide seepage routes (piping) once the organic matter has decayed. Pay attention to people's safety avoid hazardous practices and dangerous equipment. Place material in the dam: i) in layers 100 to 200mm deep; ii) at the optimum moisture content when material can be rolled to pencil thickness without breaking, and is as wet as possible without clogging the roller; then iii) compact with a heavy roller, or by driving across vehicles or animals.
Cover the whole dam with topsoil: i) plant strong grass (such as Kikuyu grass, star grass or Bermuda grass) to protect against erosion; ii) maintain the grass (water in the dry season if necessary), but prevent trees taking root, and keep out animals such as rats and termites.
Protect the upstream slope: i) lay a stone or brush mattress (for example bundles of saplings between 25 and 50mm long) on the slope, and tie it down with wire anchored to posts; ii) secure a floating timber beam 2 m from the dam these need replacing every 10 years or so.
Settlement
Even with compaction, earth dams settle as the weight forces air and water from voids (consolidation) allow for this settlement in the design. For small dams, well-compacted settlement should be between 5 to 10 per cent of the height of the dam.
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vegetated earth channel protected crest at reservoir top-water level maximum velocity 2.5m/s
A grassed spillway requires regular inspection and maintenance, so that erosion can be repaired and a good grass cover is maintained. It is often used together with a trickle-pipe spillway so that small inflows into a full reservoir flow through the trickle pipe, and do not erode the grass spillway. Table 1 can be used to find the minimum inlet width for a given flood flow. These widths apply to well-grassed spillways. Poorly grassed spillways should be wider.
Further reading
Fowler, John P., 'The design and construction of small earth dams', Appropriate Technology, Vol.3, No.4 (reprinted in Community Water Development, IT Publications, London, 1989). Nelson, K. D., Design and Construction of Small Earth Dams, Inkata, Melbourne, 1985. Pickford, John (ed.), The Worth of Water: Technical Briefs on health, water and sanitation, IT Publications, London, 1991. Schwab, G.O., Fangmeier, D.D., Elliot, W.J. and Frevert, R.K., Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Wiley, London, 1993. Stephens, Tim, Handbook on Small Earth Dams and Weirs, Cranfield Press, Bedford, 1991.
Prepared by Ian Smout and Rod Shaw WEDC Loughborough University Leicestershire LE11 3TU UK www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cv/wedc/ wedc@lboro.ac.uk
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